Dog of Fertility

The Inuit prints consist of stencils, stonecut engravings and lithographs from the communities of Cape Dorset, Baker Lake, Povunenituk, Holman Island, Pangnirtung and Clyde River. The first Cape Dorset prints were in 1959, Povunenituk in 1962, Holman in 1965, Baker Lake in 1970, Pangnirtung in 1973 and Clyde River in 1981. Since the late 1940's Indian and Northern Affairs have supported the development of art from the Canadian Arctic in co-operation with the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council. Catalogues have been published since 1959 and most of the prints are documented in their year of production. A print shop was set up by James Houston in Cape Dorset in 1958. Stonecutters Igola, Eegvudluk, Luktlak and Kanangenak began training for printmaking. James Houston decided that the co-operative would work well in the Inuit community. Specialists would prepare and cut the stone block, another artist would do the drawing and someone else would do the printing. The symbol used by the Cape Dorset group was a stylized igloo. The Cape Dorset Co-operative produces an annual catalogue illustrating and documenting prints produced within that year.

Balshine family collection.

Print depicting a dog figure in profile with a forward-facing smiling face, and its tail raised. There is a hole in its belly near the back legs with two pups in silhouette. Below the image is written, "Dog of FERTILITY Sealskin Stencil 7/50 Cape Dorset N.W.T. 1961 Eegyvudluk." Stamped with the names of the artist and the printmaker in red Inuit syllabics in monogram form with the Cape Dorset stylized igloo and the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council logo in black underneath.